The Institute
by Daphne-Nicole
Summary: Rachel Barbara Berry IS NOT TRYING TO KILL HERSELF! -But thanks to an unfortunate accident involving a steamy encounter fantasizing about a certain Blonde, nobody seems to believe her. But what is Lucy Quinn Fabray doing at the same Psychiatric Hospital?
1. Chapter 1

**_This fanfic is my way of putting a light spin on a a more serious situation. To say it is a complete bi-polar of my other fic, would be not only true... but ironic. My other fic is as angsty and deeply written as I could muster. This one however, is my own way to keep myself sane with a lighthearted alternative. -I say 'sane', this is yet more irony as this fic is set in a Psychiatric Hospital. -Although with Rachel Berry as a patient, I assure you there will be many laughs right from the start._**

* * *

**_Day One_**

_**'I'm not trying to kill myself.**_

_**Seriously, that is not what is happening here.**_

_**No, I don't think you do understand...**_

_**Look, just hear me through, I can explain.**_

_**LISTEN!'**_

Out of all that, Rachel Barbara Berry found that there was only one sentence she really wanted the world to focus on.

_"I'm not trying to kill myself"._

-But what Rachel Barbara Berry discovered, was that apparently, after 'accidents' like her own; people only heard what they wanted to hear... -naturally a more dramatic version, that in their minds goes more like this.

_'I'm not 'trying' to kill myself... I already did it._

_Seriously, I don't know what is happening to me anymore!_

_Nobody understands._

_You wouldn't hear me even if I did explain._

_-Nobody listens.'_

Now Rachel finds this more than just a 'little' frustrating... she finds it absolutely ridiculous. This however is somewhat of a natural 'dynamic' response to typical frustration for any actress, let alone a false accusation of suicide. -But Rachel Barbara didn't win two TONY awards and an EMMY for simply being 'any' actress. She grew up knowing how to perfect the typical diva storm out. She knew the exact method for throwing the perfect tantrum. So when she found that despite her calm, reasonable and articulate explanations for how the 'accident' occurred were being ignored... Rachel found that she reacted the only way she knew how.

-Apparently screaming "I'm going to kill myself!" to the heavens before throwing a potato at your fathers head, isn't the brightest move for someone trying to convince her family and friends that her recent 'incident' was not a cry for help, but in fact an amusing, (yet exceedingly painful) accident.

Rachel had, in her opinion, the perfect life. There was no plausible reason for her to throw it all away. Firstly she was hugely successful and adored worldwide, so after achieving all she had ever wanted, why would she throw this away?

Secondly, she was Jewish. And well, lets just say suicide isn't exactly the best way to avoid that place they call hell.

Rachel had the perfect life. She simply made one, ONE mistake that somehow left her where she was at this current moment in time.

-Sat, or rather unhappily sulking, in a chair of the Maudsley Hospital, South London. Beside her, she had one Leroy Berry holding his hands in despair as he tried to understand why his little princess wouldn't tell him she was so lonely.

On the other side was her other daddy, Hiram Berry, who simply spent the last twenty minutes staring at her 'sympathetically' in hopes that she would reach out and tell him she was sorry, and she is grateful that him and her other daddy were insisting she receive this help she so clearly needed.

-"Miss Berry?" A tall, handsome older man in an intimating dark suit approached the family.

"Yes this is Rachel right here" a strangely enthusiastic Leroy jumped out of his seat and patted Rachel, almost proudly, as he answered for his currently estranged daughter.

For doing so, Leroy felt the embarrassment of three stares that read "Really?" from Rachel, Hiram and the Doctor. -It wasn't Leroy's fault, introducing his daughter proudly has always been a force of habit. She hadn't ever been in a negative situation her entire life.

"Is Rachel able to speak herself?" the Doctor joked with a crippled smile through his years of either wisdom or lacking skincare.

"Actually she took a vow of silence, she claimed every word she uttered was being wasted in the world so she refuses to speak until people are willing to be professional" the mouthful came from Hiram as he stood to join his husband, while a reluctant Rachel simply looked the other way.

The Doctor looked to Hiram still smiling, assuming it was an amusing joke to lighten the dark situation, he then coughed and stuttered awkwardly when a grueling five second, emotionless stare from both of the Berry men confirmed that 'no. -They were being deadly serious'. Rachel simply rolled her eyes and mentally berated that the Doctor was further proving her point.

-Rachel wouldn't realize until later that night, that refusing to speak made her 'situation' all the less believable as she was giving off a mild 'hysterical traumatized' vibe rather than a political stand for justice.

The three men began to utter in hushed voices as the Doctor pulled out a chart and began gaining the signatures of either father. Rachel maintained her stubborn posture as she folded her arms and looked to the corner of the room, whilst trying to see from the corner of her vision and make out what they were saying.

All the diva could make out was: "irrational", "high maintenance", "erratic", "attention seeking", "reluctant", "difficult" and "beyond naive". Rachel found herself forcibly restraining her temper as she concluded a final outburst at the reception of a Psychiatric Hospital, would not do her any favors at this point.

She was broken from her track of thought as the sound of the Doctor's well-spoken voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Rachel, sorry I forgot early but let me introduce myself. My name is Doctor Stevenson. How about rather than putting you through any more tedious questions, I take you on a tour while your fathers have a break?" Rachel had to admit that while she still felt uncomfortable about the prospect of walking around a mental hospital, she highly preferred the option to the idea of remaining with her frustrating family. At least on a tour she would possibly run into some patients and staff who wanted her autograph she concluded.

Rachel nodded after a moment's apprehension and then stood to join Dr. Stevenson on a tour of what was apparently a world leading Psychiatric Hospital. -If they were reasonable she may even make a small donation she concluded, something the press would eat up.

-'Rachel Barbara Berry, a star that willing share her shine with others'... Rachel held back a beaming smile at the thought of the good publicity for her career.

* * *

"Now Rachel, don't worry I won't be harassing you with any questions about the accident, I'm simply here to show you around" Doctor Stevenson smiled politely as he lead her through numerous sets of doors before pushing a button in a lift that would take them to the fourth floor.

-"Thank you Doctor, quite frankly you're the first person in weeks to call it an accident! For some bizarre and inhumane reason or conspiracy I've yet to decipher, it seems everyone in my life is more than happy to state they feel I'm mentally unstable!" The singer laughed as she flicked her hair over her shoulder glamorously.

"You feel there may be a conspiracy Rachel?" Dr. Stevenson carefully questioned with an arched eyebrow of either interest or mockery. Considering he was a professional, Rachel decided it was out of interest, after all, who wouldn't be interested in hearing her speak if they got the opportunity. -I mean, seriously, she was Rachel FREAKING Berry. –Otherwise known as, 'the acting hot-stuff and singing siren' that had conquered the media quicker than Jennifer Aniston releases a new romantic comedy.

-"Well it's just a theory... but I mean I have the perfect life Doctor. I'm rich, adored by fans, not to mention horrendously talented. -Why would I aim to kill myself?"

"I don't know why would you Rachel?" Dr. Stevenson countered in an intrigued manner.

"Well," Rachel began before pondering her answer to the question, "I suppose they would argue it's because I have abandonment issues, what with constant rejection as part of my early career and throughout my personal life growing up. -I mean even my own mother rejected me! Oh and then they might say I've an obsession to be liked and loved by everybody to the point where this desperation is the very unappealing quality that drives them away from me. Not to mention the minor issue of my horrendous love life that I would love to share but my manager would kill me! Oh, and then there's the pressure of stardom, the love of my life never knowing I exist and my current habitation with cats rather than humans..." -I could say 'Rachel babbled' but you probably already noticed that, as did Dr. Stevenson who simply nodded to the Diva with an uneasy smile before unsubtly scribbling furiously on the chart he held in his hand.

The oblivious Diva perked happily as the 'ding' of the elevator sounded and the metal doors began to open. She had a good feeling about this. This place was 'worldly recognized' as an outstanding facility for psychiatric care. Clearly one five minute tour of the building, and Rachel was confident Dr. Stevenson would insinuate her fathers had 'wasted his precious time', and that the small Brunette was perfectly sane.

The doors opened to a brightly lit hallway, that had been painted with good intent to make the ward seem a 'happy' place, but in actual fact the paint was chipped and sometimes seemingly drawn on by children let loose with crayons.

She followed Dr. Stevenson with a catwalk rehearsed walk, complete in her Jimmy Choo boots and Alexander McQueen black dress as she repeatedly flicked her shiny dark locks back and gormlessly smiled at passing staff members who returned her smile with looks of baffle and bemusement.

She was unaware of the sound of doors bolting behind her as she walked along a new ward with a fresh new audience of staff and patients.

"Here we have the nurses desk, it where appointments are made, questions are asked etc." Dr. Stevenson warmly informed her.

"Nice to see you ladies!" Rachel added, as she continued her catwalk while the three nurses at the station, peered over the desk to watch in wonder at the big headed celebrity, who had yet to get a clue.

"Over hear is the art room" Dr. Stevenson stopped by a glass window and pointed to a warmly coloured room with the sun shining through on top a table where several patients calmly drew and painted away their worries. Rachel smiled at the sight of one of the staff, a large frizzy haired woman, knelt down aid a struggling future artist and ensure the room was one that was at ease with the world. Just as she caught a glimpse of strangely familiar Blonde hair behind a painting canvas, that the fast beat of her heart informed her she had most definitely seen before, Dr. Stevenson spoke again.

"Now how about we continue Miss Berry?"

"Yes, of course Doctor Stevenson" Rachel responded as if her mind was elsewhere. As they continued the catwalk, she took a look back at the window of the art room and found that the Blonde hair had vanished. It was hardly a surprise that the Diva had imagined it, the chance of it being who she almost thought were, well... it just couldn't be.

"Now here is the lunchroom, we try to keep a vegetarian option at all times and ensure that group mixing is encouraged" Dr. Stevenson announced as his hand waved to his left where a small cafeteria could be seen.

As Rachel spotted a slushie machine she couldn't help but gulp down a painful memory, a memory seemingly caught being digested by Dr. Stevenson. Rachel quickly returned to her Hollywood smile and nodded forward for the tour to continue, not wanting to inform a Doctor in this kind of hospital of any kind of bullying in her past.

"And finally Rachel," Dr Stevenson began as he halted the tour by a tidy room with twin beds both made and prepared for patients, "this is room C12".

"It's particularly lovely considering its a twin bed," Rachel added as she took in the beautiful view and flowers at one of the bedside tables.

-"Well we aim to keep our patients in the utmost best facilities we can provide. However this room was booked with the knowledge that the patient inhabiting it, grew up as an only child and would not appreciate or benefit from sharing a room with strangers".

"Oh I completely understand Doctor," Rachel began as Dr. Stevenson ruffled his hand through his slick Grey hair as he wondered when the Diva would finally catch on.

"Personally, having grown up as an only child I can agree that while we do crave attention, we do also fear an ambush of the sudden need to share!"

Rachel... this will be where you stay during your time with us."

-"I mean just the thought of a intruder who snores! Oh Minnelli I don't think I could take it! I mean...wait. No. Time with? No, no, no, no, no!" Rachel felt her insides churning as she began to panic. This was all wrong; she wasn't supposed to be here. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. NO!

"You can't! I'm 24, and most certainly never agreed to such a ridiculous sham."

"Rachel I'm afraid when a person is declared mentally unstable and puts their life in jeopardy, they lose the right to control such matters". Dr. Stevenson pleaded as Rachel found all the surrounding walls closing in and air becoming hard to come by.

"But I didn't try to kill myself! I didn't!"

"Rachel whether or not you see it now, what happened to you was a very clear cry for help from a distressed young woman".

"Cry for? No, doctor this is a cry for help...HELP! HELP ME! THIS IMBECILE IS LOCKING ME AWAY AGAINST MY, impeccably 'sane', WILL!"

The surrounding staff began to slowly approach fearing an upcoming breakdown and a possible need for sedating the clearly delusional, new patient.

"Miss Berry I'm afraid it's out of your hands, you will stay here tonight and abide by the timetable on your bedside as of tomorrow morning, and remain to do so until we here at Maudsley Hospital feel you are ready to continue with your life without risk of harm to yourself."

As the doorway of the room was now blocked with not only Dr. Stevenson, but by two well-built casually dressed staff members, Rachel realized it was too late. She was officially a patient at Maudsley Hospital in London. She found herself secretly thankful she had just finished her run as 'Velma' in 'Chicago' on the West End, heaven knows this kind of publicity would be critical damage to her blossoming career.

While she hated her fathers for visiting her in London and causing all this, she also found herself grateful of the knowledge that her cats and apartment would be in safe hands until she returned.

As the Diva felt the tears of despair falling down her cheeks, she fell back onto one of the beds and swallowed her pride. She would have to go along with this sham. Do that, and maybe she would finally get her life back and get out of this prison of a so-called 'hospital'.

For the second time of that exceedingly long day, Rachel found herself wishing somebody would actually listen to her as she sighed to herself in the lonely space she now resided in...

"I'm not trying to kill myself".

* * *

_(One week earlier)_

As she poured the salts into her bubble bath Rachel inhaled the lavender smell and smiled at the relaxation the bath offered after finally finishing an exhausting 12 month run as 'Velma Kelly' in 'Chicago' on the West End.

She loved the job, she honestly did, but the long hours and little time off meant it wasn't exactly uncommon for Rachel's relationships to be short, and her friendships to fade. Apart from her fathers coming to stay for a week, Rachel had been horrifically lonely in all honesty. She only really had her cats, accordingly named 'Audrey' and 'Hepburn', in honor of the actress she admired after watching 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' after first moving to England after completing her run as 'Elphaba' in her first Broadway musical 'Wicked'.

As the bubbles soaked her tired and worn body Rachel relaxed into the comfort of the bath, finding her mind wandering. The irony is that as body was cleaned, her mind wandered straight into the gutter.

She thought back on all of her ex lovers. There was more than a few unsuccessful tales in her short life to say the least.

First there was Finn, Finn had been... well... she went down the alter with him, and if it hadn't been for her maid of honor being in a life threatening car accident, well her career wouldn't be what it is now. Strangely Quinn had saved her when her own life was put in jeopardy that day.

But still, Finn had always been well... somewhat well equipped, she smirked to herself. To be completely honest she had been more than a little grateful considering his kisses were sloppy and lovemaking more than a little 'average', so it was nice to have a least a minor improvement to the poor experience.

Rachel remembered wanting Finn for the first time, not when he met her in Glee, but when she saw him after discovering Quinn, the head cheerleader was his girlfriend. She saw his lips on Quinn's as he met his girlfriend at her locker. -He had looked so desirable then, she couldn't understand what went wrong when he kissed her. Maybe Quinn was just a really good kisser to make up for his less than average kissing skills?

Puck! Now Puck could make out, he was just well...a little 'too handsy' for the diva's taste. I mean yes, she had boobs, but he didn't need to remind her every second by squeezing them raw! -Rachel found herself then wondering how he touched Quinn. Was it rough, gentle? He did love her so it was probably passionate. -Now this Rachel could imagine. -She was ashamed to admit that while Quinn Fabray's trademark was her Bette Davis ice cold stare and intimidating eyebrow arch, what the cheerleader didn't know, was that it was during these moments of being the ruling Ice Queen of McKinley... well, it was during these moments that Rachel found herself inexplicably turned on.

The diva had one theory that the sole reason she irritated and tampered with the Head Cheerleaders affairs so much, was just as risk of Quinn later cornering her and yelling all fires blazing as Rachel took in the radiating passionate heat the Cheerleader unknowingly offered in these confrontations.

As Rachel found her stomach stirring, she became aware of the fact that she was currently lying naked in a bathtub, aroused at the thought of her former ex-tormentor-turned-best friend.

She briefly attempted the escape the delicious thoughts, but the heat and throbbing of her core informed her it was pointless trying. Rachel was officially frustrated.

-Unfortunately sexual frustration was something she had found a little too common after finally breaking up with Finn a year ago, (the two had tried valiantly after their failed engagement, but as Rachel's career took off, they found that Finn no longer wished to go with her).

Flashes of Blonde hair and piercing hazel eyes filled her mind as she found her hand slowly slipping further and further up her tanned, inner thigh.

This was beyond wrong, it was beyond weird to be doing this...again.

-But despite her best efforts Rachel couldn't deny the feeling of erotic explosion that came with the sexual consideration of a Miss Quinn Fabray.

It was only as her body shook that Rachel even realized she had just 'gotten off' to the thought of Quinn yet again, after years of trying to forget the sexual seamstress who haunted her dreams and fantasies.

Reluctantly, Rachel pulled her (now even more) exhausted body from the tub as she tried to make her way to the medicine cabinet where her towel was placed on the sink.

It was only as she reached out to grab the towel at the same time as the slipping pills, that Rachel even realized she had just 'cummed' to the point of losing function of her knees. The pills flew all over the floor and Rachel found herself slipping backwards across the wet tiled surface as she attempted to keep the towel on and regain balance.

There was a frantic fumble, a splash, the desperate attempt to free her neck from the chain of the shower head that was now, incidentally, choking her. -And finally there were the screams as her fathers opened the door after hearing a concerning amount of banging coming from the bathroom.

As the door opened, Hiram and Leroy Berry were met with the horrific sight of their daughter attempting hang herself in the bathtub after apparently failing to OD on sleeping tablets that were thrown all over the room.

-To Rachel, this was the moment that would spark her brand new favorite catchphrase...

"I'm not trying to kill myself"

* * *

_(Present)_

When Rachel awoke she found herself stuck to the thin bed sheets from crying herself to sleep, as well as having her bottom firmly in the air. -It was times like this she was glad there were currently no cameras.

She slowly got to up to find a sports bag on the bed on the opposite side of the dimly lit room. -Knowing her fathers had at least had the decency to send more casual clothing served as at least a small comfort to the now very much alone diva.

Rachel wandered across to the bed and quickly threw on a pink tank top, baggy white sweatshirt and pink pajama pants. The diva was about to fix her make-up and hair when she remembered where she was, and that it was the middle of the night judging by the blackness outside her window. She instead opted for a make-up wipe and quickly brushed her dark hair before standing and heading cautiously to the door in her bare feet and pajamas.

As she peered down the hallway she found herself both at unease at the completely deserted nature of the normally busy ward, but also grateful for the time to explore the unknown territory on her own terms.

She quietly crept down the hallway, taking in the earlier sites as she did so. The cafeteria now seemed intimidating and dark, the art rooms warm light now seemed to have been put out, and the nurses station now simply had a security guard and a nurse who appeared to believe they could get away with 'that' because they had assumed every patient was asleep given the time.

As she scoffed in disgust at the middle-aged staff members fawning over one another at the nurses station at the end of the corridor, Rachel found her eyes wandering down another deserted hallway. -One where she heard the soft sound of the scribbling of a pencil, echoing along the ward.

Cautiously the diva turned and began to walk down the hallway, stopping immediately as she turned a corner and came fact to face with the last person she ever expected to see not only in England, but also in a place like this...

Sat cross-legged on the floor in a colorfully patterned Grey sweatshirt and checked pajama shorts; (now dropping her pencil and sketchpad as she looked up in shock at the diva before her) was her former best friend.

-Her former Glee teammate.

-Her former maid of honor.

-Her former high school companion, the stunning beauty otherwise known as Quinn Fabray.

"Quinn?"

-"Rachel?"

* * *

**_I'd say something like 'ooh', or 'ahh', but I think we all guessed that the two girls would end up in the same place. -Hardly a shocker for a Faberry fic right?_**

**_-Hello sarcasm! _**

**_-Please silence my ramble and internal cursing for sounding like an 'idget!' by giving me the privilege of your reviews. Review, favourite and alert if you enjoy! _**

**_I know you 'kind of' want to know what Quinn is doing in the hospital in England of all places!_**


	2. Chapter 2

Rachel stood with her mouth wide open as she found amazing and intense thoughts flying through her brain...

'Wow she still has perfect hair, wait, no... I mean, just look at her pajamas! Why does she have nicer pajamas than me? Was she allowed to pack her bag before she came here? This is unreasonable! I want sexy revealing pajama shorts that show off my stunning porcelain legs...not that I have stunning porcelain legs, please; I have stunning tanned legs that anyone would kill for.

Dam it, I'm off subject yet again.

Oh crap she's staring at me... after three years apart the woman looks at me and still manages to make me feel both tiny and yet irreversibly turned on... Maybe it is the porcelain legs? Maybe porcelain does that to a persons mind?

Dang it Rachel now she's getting up, why is she getting up? Wait she's, she's leaving?

Where is she going? Why is she just walking away? What the... Where did she go?'

As Rachel finally left her thoughts, she cursed herself for failing to see what room the Blonde had entered as she walked off. She was about to start opening doors and waking strangers when she noticed Quinn had left a piece of paper on the floor where she had previously sat.

Rachel furrowed her expression in confusion as she knelt down and picked up the piece of paper.

'Rachel, when you decide to exit your internal monologue that was, riveting I'm sure'

-'Well that feels like sarcasm' Rachel scrutinized before continuing.

'-And when you have finished debating whether or not I was just being sarcastic, (here's a clue... I WAS!) Then maybe you can go back to bed and forget the ridiculous nature of this horrific scenario that would place us both here. Go to sleep, I'll let you know when we can talk'

Rachel found herself scoffing at the predictability of her behavior, well that and Quinn's natural gift for reading people better than she'd like to admit. But what she found most irritating, was Quinn's ability to already hold the power in their reunited relationship. It was uncanny, and Rachel wouldn't have it.

She was a Broadway and West End star now... Quinn Fabray didn't get to write the ins and outs of when Rachel could or couldn't address her! She simply wouldn't have it.

Rachel began to storm toward the first door she could see, prepared to knock furiously on every door until Quinn would apologize.

"Hey! When we say lights out, it means SLEEP!" the 'canoodling' security guard was no longer, well, 'canoodling' so Rachel screamed and hid her face as she ran back towards her room.

-She may be a stage star, but she was still a goody-two-shoes who was terrified of getting into trouble.

As she closed her eyes and wished away the misery of being locked up against her will, Rachel found herself concluding that Quinn Fabray had won this round, but when she was finally allowed to talk to the Blonde; she would make a point to get revenge by never shutting up!

* * *

**_Day Two_**

As Rachel reached out to turn off that horrendous alarm clock that typically blasted from beside her, she instead found her fingers grasping something squidgy and warm.

After a few seconds of further prodding and debate, she concluded it probably wasn't an alarm clock.

As she carefully opened her eyes she found herself staring straight into eyes of a middle aged man with a beard and soft cuddly appearance. His big baby blue eyes seemed glistened with an irritated glare as his light brown hair reminded Rachel of a grizzly bear. He seemed like he had woken her with the intent of giving her some toast as a friendly 'welcome to the loony bin' type of gesture, but after her fingers had single handedly sabotaged his thoughtful gift he now simply looked quite pissed.

"Good Morning?" she nervously attempted.

"Goodbye" He replied in a thick accent as he threw the plate of tampered toast at her and walked out of her room.

'Great, your first proper day and you already repulse people' Rachel sighed to herself as she felt like she had somehow entered a time machine and had re-entered high school where she was the lowest of the social rejects.

She slowly willed her body to leave the safety of the mattress and accepted the challenge that today would bring. Rachel had to abide by their rules so that they would see she wasn't crazy or suicidal.

Rachel smirked at her own drive and ambition; she reckoned she'd be in Maudsley Psychiatric Hospital for a week, tops.

* * *

"21 Day's!"

"Now Miss Berry if you could just remain calm..."

"CALM? CALM!" The Diva screamed at the top of her lungs as Dr. Stevenson desperately tried to reason without the need for sedation.

"Miss Berry I'm sorry but here at Maudsley, the minimal patient treatment duration is 21 days" Rachel was about to lunge over the desk and throttle the man when she remembered that the head doctor on her case wasn't the best man to be 'throttling' if she truly wanted to get out early. -So she tried a different route...

"Look, Dr. Stevenson... or" she looked to a file lying on his desk and noted the name before returning her gaze to the man with a dazzling smile and fluttering eyelashes, "Edward Stevenson? You don't mind me calling you Edward do you?"

-"Well actually I consider it a violation of..."

"As I was saying Edward" Rachel obliviously interrupted as she repositioned herself on her chair and leaned toward the desk whilst looking to Dr. Stevenson through her long lashes, "21 Days seems an awfully long time to treat someone who I assure you, is perfectly fine. Now I'm sure a handsome, charming and sexual man like yourself can understand that I..."

-"Miss Berry! Flattery, or seduction of staff will not be tolerated!" Rachel fell back into her seat with an ungrateful 'humph' as she folded her arms and flicked her hair over her shoulder as she looked away from the man, refusing to make eye contact. It was a strop she had somewhat perfected over the years whenever she had discovered she wouldn't be getting her own way in life.

"Miss Berry, I'm sorry you're still in denial about your admission here. But if you insist that the 'accident' was just that, an 'accident'; then surely you shouldn't be too concerned about staying here longer than the minimum amount of time?"

As Doctor Stevenson paused as he awaited a response, the diva looked to the ground debating whether or not to just give in and ride this crazy train out.

'It would be a good learning curve. I would be able to study some of these actual nutcases and become a better actor for it. Ooh I always did want to experiment with the appeal of method acting!

Then again, if I do back down... everyone will believe I actually was suicidal, not to mention crazy for the amount of fuss I put up about them all being wrong. -Is it worth it?'

Rachel pondered the pros and cons over and over but only ever seemed to find one factor that won the argument for her.

'I need to find out why Quinn's here'.

* * *

The sound of the Grey food landing onto her plate startled the diva back into reality. She had spent a moment daydreaming about how she would conquer this place the way she had conquered the hearts of her followers. -Sure in her head she was wearing a crown and was sat beside the strange bear man from this morning as he and Dr. Stevenson bowed down to her thrown. Next Quinn walked before her 'shall we begin?' she would ask and Rachel would simply nod as Quinn would kneel before her, tracing her fingertips up Rachel's toned carves, gentle pushing her legs apart as her fingers ceased to dance patterns with one powerful thru-'

-But like I said, that was rudely interrupted for Rachel with the sound and sight of the sloppy dull food on her tray before her.

"...Thank you...just, perfect" Rachel bitterly twisted through a painfully fake smile as the rude cafeteria worker simply moved on to the next patient. Rachel had asked for the salad, but naturally it wouldn't of been fair to give the vegan her food, no, as this was Rachel Berry. So naturally asking for the vegetarian option meant receiving the sloppy meat lasagna. This was her comic tale after all.

As Rachel picked up her now worthless tray, she turned and faced the noisy room. Despite the natural dreary atmosphere of the entire ward, Rachel found an odd comfort in looking at the friendships formed among troubled souls. Here they were, broken and lost. -Yet it was here that they all found each other, it was poetic, moving.

But no sooner than she found a feeling of warmth she replaced it with an inedible lump in her throat. 'Oh Streisand' she cursed upon the realization she didn't have anyone to sit with yet. She didn't know anybody. She remained alone in a place she didn't belong.

"You're famous aren't you?" Rachel jumped dramatically as her food flew through the air as a hand on her shoulder startled her to the core. She turned to see an amused smile staring back at her.

The hand belonged to a dark haired man, or well... she would say man but the femininity with which he spoke and graced her with suggested he preferred to believe himself a woman. He oddly reminded her of both a Black Kurt Hummel and Beyoncé simultaneously... 'I always did wonder how Kurt would look in a frock' she mentally chuckled. -It was only after a Black Kurt furrowed his plucked eyebrows and looked to the floor that Rachel even realized she was still wearing her comic grin and had just thrown her food behind her. She quickly shut her gaping mouth and turned to clean up the mess but the same hand on her shoulder pulled her straight back around.

"Honey Marion looks beyond pissed, I suggest you forget the food and come join us so I can marvel at your performance in Chicago and you can finally ask me whether I'm Beyoncé or not..."

'How did he know?' But as Rachel's overwhelmed brown orbs took in her splattered food, she noted the grumpy face cleaning it up. It was the cafeteria worker who served her the wrong meal. This was more than amusing to the Brunette as she giggled and mouthed 'karma' to the scowling elderly woman on her knees.

"Everybody, this is Rachel. Rachel is famous, you should be in awe, but get that over with so I can continue with my day here shall we?" The Black Kurt, 'I should really ask her/his name' announced to the small group of patients sat on the table Rachel now found herself on.

"I've never heard of you" a mutter came from a pale young woman with Blonde hair.

-"That's because you have no life Simone," the dark man/woman countered.

"Well neither have any of us, else we wouldn't be here would we Dee?" A frumpy, large ginger haired man mocked. Rachel wanted to defend her new friends but found if she stayed quiet she would probably learn more names. 'It turns out Black Kurt is actually Dee!' she mentally cheered.

Dee simply scowled before tossing his head to the side to chat idly with Rachel for the rest of their lunch as he kindly shared his salad with her.

* * *

"You have what?" Rachel whispered, afraid to allow others to hear in case it was private.

-"Manic Depressive disorder" Dee answered loudly before casually throwing a tomato into his mouth.

'Apparently not that private'

"It's not like I actually do, people here, they just don't understand that the woman in me still had a TIME OF THE MONTH!" Dee screamed at a passing member of staff who pretending not to notice.

Part of Rachel wanted to point out that since Dee had confirmed that he was still just that... a 'he', then he wouldn't 'technically' have a time of the month. But something in Rachel also told her that Dee seemed intelligent, and probably already knew that. In fact as she took a moment to stare in to the vibrant mans chocolate eyes, she found herself fighting the need to cry upon seeing the vulnerable facade glimmering beneath the surface. She held back her own sympathy for Dee after choosing to let him carry on the show a little longer until he was ready to handle his pain on his own terms.

For once in her life, Rachel accepted that perhaps it wasn't her place.

Dee cleared his throat awkwardly to snap Rachel back into focus. She jumped and smiled apologetically, knowing that Dee knew she wasn't just apologizing: she was offering sympathy simultaneously.

"Anyway bright young thing! You never did tell me why they chained up your gorgeous ass in here?" Dee masterfully changed the topic before nibbling on some celery.

"Oh well, its sort of a bit complicated actually, I erm..." but as Rachel glanced around the room she halted her conversation as she spotted the one person who had both brought and kept her here.

Sat by the window on a table opposite the cuddly man from this morning, was an angelic Blonde who somehow managed to make sitting look sexy. Then again the sun was cruelly shining through the window and highlighting the Blonde's graces as she sat silently whilst starring out of the window while the man before her chatted away.

The Grizzly bear seemed to have formed a companionship with the Blonde, the sat far away from the noise and disruption of their fellow patients. It was high school all over again. Rachel sat amongst the misfits, while Quinn glistened in the sun far away to emphasize her authority over them.

Rachel found her breath coming harder and harder to come by as she stared hopelessly at the image before her. -Quinn had barely aged. The only difference was her cropped hair had grown back to it's former long length and her cheek bones seemed to be more prominent creating a sexual undertone to her innocent beauty. Quinn had always been intense, but by the last time Rachel saw her, the two had been a lot closer, Quinn's walls had melted and the two were able to breathe the same air.

But now as Rachel started longingly, she found her lack of breath and tight chest telling her that Quinn's intensity was stronger than ever, the Blonde wasn't even making contact with her and already Rachel couldn't breathe.

'It's just because of the incident. You saw her in a different light and now it's fresh on your mind. She's just as innocent and graceful as ever. She's Quinn Fabray...she's lifting her eyes... oh lordy she's seen me, oh my Grace Kelly I'm so turned on! NO Rachel Dam it! Guttery thoughts be gone!'

But as those piercing hazels burned into Rachel's she found her body unable to run from the fire, something about the Blonde ignited Rachel's bones. Something that Rachel feared would only increase with intensity if Quinn's viciously dark eyes were victorious in sucking Rachel libido to the surface. If Rachel had known any better she would have sworn Quinn's mind was in just as deliciously bad a place, but thought better of it having remembered where she was.

Rachel didn't care if this want killed her in the process, she would find out what was wrong with her old friend.

* * *

It was the late afternoon now and Rachel found herself sat unhappily, no change there, on a bench as she watched the others play 'team sports' as scheduled for her afternoon.

She didn't want to be here. She wanted to see Quinn and have more eye sex.

But Quinn was alas, not here. -Argo, no eye sex.

This left Rachel equally frustrated and irritated.

It wasn't even that long since she had last had sex. She had literally ended a brief fling with an understudy for the show's male lead as her run in the show ended. He, like the others since Finn Hudson, had been of no importance to her, simply a body to satisfy her unfortunately constantly hungry appetite. The sad truth that while Rachel had admittedly made a point of telling them the interactions were meaningless, she had been more than underwhelmed by the fact that not one had even tried to make her reconsider. As far as Rachel was concerned, romance and all chivalry with it; was dead.

She fiddled with her leggings and frowned at the idea of being told to participate in a less than exhilarating game of 'Frisbee', luckily the staff had told her she was allowed to sit out, as 'showing up was all that counted'.

'Yeah Quinn, showing up! You now, for this highly important team building experience' Rachel cursed as she secretly envied the Blonde's reluctance to join in. It wasn't enough that Rachel had recently put the Blonde on a pedestal, she then had to go and make it worse by labeling herself as mysterious and hard to get'. Rachel hated how she had always loved a challenge, she knew this would aid her in finally getting the truth out of her former friend, but it was also extremely likely to prove catastrophic considering her current infatuation.

Rachel never would have thought it would be this difficult to talk to the cheerleader, but then she never would have planned on seeing her inside a mental hospital. Rachel had thought a lot of things. Things had changed.

"You just gonna mope all day or are you gonna join me in some Frisbee girl?" Dee ungraciously plonked himself beside her, before proceeding to put on leg over the other and flick his hair as he put on some sunglasses. -Every second was like a gender switch with this one.

"I never particularly excelled at sports..." Rachel muttered, silently praying that she would be dismissed to her room to just sleep this nightmare away.

"You never excelled at subtlety either" Dee chortled snidely before looking away.

"Wait, what?" Just like that Rachel Berry was back on earth and actually listening.

"You. Earlier. Lunch. Eye sex your food up much?" Rachel gaped a shocked face, "Oh and honey bun, I ain't talking about the salad we shared!" Dee grinned playfully as Rachel slapped his arm in response.

"I...have absolutely no idea what you are referring to"

-"Oh that's a real shame as I do." Dee smirked. While Rachel admittedly loved the bright and exceedingly 'out there' nature of Dee, she found she was beginning to loath his smug smirk as she hit him again on the arm with a small smile.

"You. You making I wanna 'screw your brains out' eyes at our Residential Belle". Dee casually spilled like it was the most obvious information in the world.

"Residential-" Okay that part did have the diva stumped.

"Belle?" Dee finished. "Honey I have nicknames for everyone here, I just haven't picked yours yet as I'm not done judging!" Dee laughed before straightening his composure to carry on in response to Rachel's 'please continue' expression.

"Miss Fabray is like the beautiful bombshell who dropped out of a fairytale right?" Rachel nodded dumbly, "-right. So she's all perfect in appearances, speaks good and reads a lot, and had the perfect life. But the girl get's thrown into a nightmare that ain't ending anytime soon and is haunted by some tragedy or summit." Rachel simply looked to her feet sheepishly. -Sometimes she got so caught up in how attracted to the Blonde she currently was that she repeatedly forgot where they both were.

"But why Belle? Is it the reading?" Rachel found the words to respond.

"No! -But actually you make a point. It's because her only friend here is with the Beast. Without him that girl's locked away in her own princess castle of a mind". While Rachel didn't appreciate the cold tone in which Dee was talking about Quinn and her apparent only friend here, she instead simply nodded as a sign of gratitude to Dee.

Strangely the description didn't sound at all childish and the fairytale aspect of being locked in her own mind with huge surrounding walls described the Quinn Rachel knew perfectly from once upon a time. But then again, years had passed, and for the Blonde to be here, maybe she wasn't that girl Rachel knew anymore. If anything her walls had surely grown higher and her Bette Davis eyes more icy.

"-How do you know her again?" The question pulled Rachel from her thoughts as she looked to the man beside her awaiting her reply.

"I guess you could just say she is somebody I used to know".

-"And you ran into her here? Wow, unlucky".

"Actually," Rachel found herself realizing, "maybe it was lucky. Maybe I just don't know why yet." she smiled wondrously as Dee looked at her with a face of utter confusion.

* * *

Perhaps the worst thing about this place was the aspect of no time. It wasn't like now Rachel was stuck in this hell hole she felt time stand still, far from it; if anything she was grateful out how fast time had flown today. But it was the lack of clocks. It was as if they had purposefully removed all clocks just to wind her up... pun not intended!

-What Rachel failed to no was that after her little 'display' to Dr. Stevenson, he had quite literally instructed the nurses to remove the clock from her room to prevent her noticing the 21 days here. He would have also suggested the public areas but after the amount of incidents involving paranoid schizophrenics and clocks, he had tackled that dilemma an awful long time ago.

As the diva tossed and turned in her pajamas, she found herself yet again, frustratingly unable to sleep. It was only as she heard the shuffle of footsteps and the sound of a note sliding under her door that she actually stopped letting out moans of frustration (it wasn't her fault that these people went to bed before her well developed body clock did!)

She quickly threw her legs over the bed and hurdled over the over twin in order to reach the door. She carefully picked up the note before stepping back to sit on the spare twin bed.

The note was a simple piece of paper folded in half with delicate handwriting scribbling a message. She cursed the room's poor lighting as she desperately squinted her eyes to make out the words. -She could of just waited until morning like a normal human being, but her body clock told her she had several more hours left of being vividly awake, so she had concluded that this note was vitally important and would provide at least some excitement; in a visibly dull place.

Her fingers traced as her eyes scrambled over the words trying to decipher the dimly lit note:

_'Welcome to the funhouse. Room, A14. -Q'_

Rachel found a huge smile beaming across her face. Despite her best efforts to not follow Quinn's orders and commands to only see her when she allowed, Rachel couldn't help but wag her tail like an excited puppy at the prospect of Quinn's permission to see her.

After throwing on her dressing gown and fluffy slippers, Rachel found herself wandering down the corridors she had ventured last night. -Truthfully she had allowed herself to be led everywhere by Dee today, and had thus failed to retain any useful directions around the ward. 'Note to self, learn to read door signs'

As she heard chuckling, Rachel turned a familiar corner to see the nurse's station straight ahead. This time the security guard was 'canoodling' with Nurse 'B'. -He seemed to get around and have quite the dirty little secrets. But secret rendezvous aside, Rachel needed to sneak past undetected if she wanted to stand a chance of finding the Blonde she so eagerly sought.

She waited until she heard the "Oh Jeremy" as 'Jeremy pushed Nurse 'B' against the desk to have his way with her, before she quickly crept down the hall, naturally muttering "Oh Jeremy" in disgust as she turned the corner to safety.

'Okay...next room what are you...A01! -Victory' Rachel mentally cheered as she fist pumped the air before losing her footing and landing with a hard 'thump' on her buttocks. After gratefully thanking the higher powers that prevented people witnessing her blunder, she painfully removed herself from the cold floor and carried on with her journey, attempting ignore the pain in her ass.

'A10, A11, A12'... Rachel found her steps slowing and her breath quickening as she neared her destination. Truth be told she was terrified. Not because of her silly infatuation with the Blonde that had returned, but because she feared what had become of the Quinn she placed on a pedestal so long ago.

'A13'... Dee had said the word 'tragedy', so obviously Quinn was somewhat traumatized, but was it more than that? When she had attempted to quiz the 'all-knowing' Dee further, she had just been mocked over her clear infatuation. It was either playground teasing, or Dee being far more sensitive than he had originally appeared, respecting the privacy of whatever was so wrong with Quinn that she had ended up as a patient at a place like this. Deep down Rachel found that while the optimistic told her it was the first option, her gut told her it was inevitably the latter of the two.

She gulped as she neared the last door of the hallway by the elevators. -Was it this possible that when Rachel first came here she had been so close to discovering her friend had she just opened her eyes for once? The very thought made the lump in the small diva's throat only that much harder to swallow.

'A14'. The small sign was clear, and the door was just barely ajar. -Was Quinn expecting her? The knowledge that Quinn knew Rachel well enough to know she wouldn't wait until tomorrow both annoyed her and peaked her desire to enter the room with a newfound intrigue.

"Hello?" Rachel harshly whispered as her fingertips gentle pushed on the door. She expected to find Quinn sprawled on the floor 'mid thought' or fast asleep, she did not however; expect to see an empty space.

'Maybe Quinn is still wandering?' She concluded as she slowly walked into the room and took in Quinn's habitat. The room was a single, with cluttered pieces of paper scattered everywhere. She had always known Quinn could draw, and certainly known she was quite the wordsmith thanks to her peaked interest in any source of reading material. But Rachel had never actually seen the products of Quinn's work. She knew the Blonde had always favored photography and art, but never really known her to produce any finished words and pieces. Rachel's eyes widen at the prospect of being surrounded by words, paint, and pencil shaving that all screamed the essence of the soul of the girl Rachel had always found herself in awe of. It was magical. She finally understood why the Blonde's favorite book in high school was 'The adventures of Alice in Wonderland'; it was because Quinn herself lived in a fairytale. She lived breathed and dreamed creativity and possibilities. Rachel found her heart pounding as she walked over to the bedside table where a pencil indicated Quinn's most recent artwork lay.

The Brunette found her breathing staggered at the image, it was of a man, who was dressed like a modern Prince Charming in the flesh. -To be fair, his physique and handsome face made quite dreamy.

But as she took in the drawing in more depth, Rachel found herself reflecting back to Dee's words earlier that day...

_"she's all perfect in appearances, speaks good and reads a lot, and had the perfect life. But the girl get's thrown into a nightmare that ain't ending anytime soon and is haunted by some tragedy or summit"._

Her fingers traced the face of the man lightly, his hair was dark and groomed, the detail of his stubble showed the importance this figure seemed to be to Quinn. But what really struck Rachel was his eyes drawn with a tender attention that captured their dying glisten. He was shown standing behind bars and surrounded by a shaded darkness. It was as if someone had locked him away forever, and the glisten of sadness on his face reflected his pain at knowing he had lost his Princess forever. Rachel found a conflict of emotion, as she didn't know whether to cry or carry on snooping for a happier sight. But as she placed the poetic picture back on the bedside table, her eyes noted the inscription at the bottom of the page:

_'"But a mermaid has no tears, and therefore she suffers so much more." -Hans Christian Andersen, The Little Mermaid'._

With the quote showing the reality of the sad truth that Quinn truly was like a lost fairytale princess who had lost her happily ever after...no prince, no castle, no love. Rachel wanted to burst into tears on the spot. -She had always longed to understand the mind of Lucy Quinn Fabray, but she had never intended on discovering such agonizing truths of loneliness.

Just as the tears pricked her eyes and she prepared for an eruption of emotion, she found herself jump as soft hands suddenly entrapped her to the spot.

"Rachel, I must say, you tact for not interfering with peoples private lives has truly remained as poor since the last time I saw you". The sultry velvet voice of her current favorite Blonde, ('sorry Barbara, but you do dye you hair') filled Rachel's ears as her body stiffened and her scream was muffled by her own gasp for air.

Quinn had skillfully crept behind the diva and had laced her one hand to hold Rachel's arms together locking her in place. The other, Rachel noted, was completely unnecessary. -Yet Quinn had chosen to splay her fingertips over Rachel's waist almost possessively. It was intimate, and bizarrely heated as Rachel considered the fact the Quinn's left hand had just wanted to claim her as her own.

"Well you always did intrigue me..."

-'Wait was that? Oh my, I'm flirting that's MY VOICE! Keep it in the gutter Rachel!'

Rachel could of sworn by the change in Quinn's breath on her neck that the Blonde was now either startled, or smirking... the electricity from having Quinn so close told Rachel that regardless, she would believe the latter.

"That's because some would say while I read others well, they can never seem to read me" the Blonde whispered seductively into Rachel's ear.

-She probably just whispered it, but Rachel was so beyond turned on at this current moment in time, that she would happily choose to hear things how she wanted.

As the fingers dancing on her waist suddenly released their hold, Rachel found a sigh escape as a feeling on a cold breeze brushed her as Quinn walked past to sit cross legged on her beg and look up to Rachel.

-It was as if nothing had changed in the several years since they last saw one another. They still managed to feel remarkably comfortable in their own sparring chemistry than they did when they acted civil. Whether it was screaming insults or flirting shamelessly for fun, the girls had never had a middle ground. Rachel had never though twice of their constant fire of a relationship until Graduation when the two girls hugged intimately with pride for one another and Finn had made a stupid joke, _"You know if I hadn't dated you both, I'd of thought you two were doing a Santana and Britney behind my back!"_

-Little did Finn know, that very comment was the moment Rachel had reevaluated how she actually saw Quinn Fabray. What he definitely didn't know was that, that very night; Rachel found herself accidentally picturing Quinn as she made love to him. It was probably the quickest orgasm he had ever produced for her. It was the first time Rachel realized she had always been undoubtedly, and obliviously attracted to her close friend.

"Rachel?" Quinn's ever-intense eyes stared at Rachel in amusement. Apparently Rachel may have spent a little longer running down memory lane than she realized. Quinn was looking at her with an expectant face and dark piercing eyes. Whether they were actually dark, or the dim lighting of the room was manipulating Rachel's inner desire, she wasn't sure.

'Okay think Rachel, think! What am I supposed to be saying or doing? Let's think, she's looking at me, oh she's really looking at and- NO! Focus. Right, she sat on the bed and she's...wait! She want's me to sit. Oh it's more simple than 'inception' when Quinn explains it with salt and pepper shakers!'

The diva quickly scrambled to join the Blonde on the bed, eventually sitting beside Quinn with her legs dangling off the bed. Rachel sat in silence, nervously fiddling with her pajama shorts as she avoided Quinn's heavenly gaze.

"Rachel?" As she snapped her eyes up she was met with another realization.

'There they are...I thought I was avoiding you, you delicious flickering oceans of sight'.

"Quinn?" She fixed her best 'non-nervous' face and attempted to appear as nonchalant as possible.

"Really? Nothing?" Quinn seemed beyond confused at Rachel's behavior. To be quite frank, Rachel was confused at everything in her life at the moment. Here she was, wrongly committed to a mental ward of a Psychiatric Hospital where, despite it being in London of all places, she still managed to bump in to Quinn Fabray.

"What were you expecting?" She responded in her best, 'I'm not nervous or attempting to get lost in your sultry eyes' voice, -as if there were such a thing.

"You, Rachel Barbara Berry, Queen of inference and explanation seeking; aren't at least a little plagued with questions you want to throw at me after such a remarkable occurrence of events?" Rachel giggled and basked in the joy of having at least one person here who still remembered proper grammar despite being in a mad house.

"I must say Quinn, I'd missed conversing with a fellow soul who appreciated the importance of civil, well presented and punctuated sentences!" Rachel beamed as she saw Quinn battle a playful grin.

-"Fuck it".

"Exactly my point, it's like I was saying... I, wait, what?" Rachel backtracked visibly as she quit her ramble and fully turned so that she now faced the Blonde with her legs also crossed on the bed, their knee's lightly brushing.

"...Fuck. It." Quinn repeated in a simple, yet endearing tone with a challenging eyebrow and small smirk as she deciphered Rachel's reaction in through the diva's dark eyes.

Rachel didn't know what reaction she was supposed to have.

'Fuck it with what Quinn, boundaries? As if that's what you insinuating then please mount me like the filthy temptress you secretly are, right here and now! -Although I must say the swearing was a little vulgar and inappropriate, oh whom am I kidding! If you're going to say it like that then please fuck it all day and fuck it all night... with me preferably!'

But Rachel's outer voice wasn't quite so loud.

"I'm sorry?" She nervously whimpered in a shy anticipating voice.

"Oh I was simply challenging your love of properly used grammar. -Sorry... I couldn't resist" Quinn then proceeded to giggle like a four-year old at the sight of Rachel's bafflement. Then as it changed into a face of frustration at her deliberate attempt to rifle the diva, she only laughed harder as she fell backwards onto her pillow.

Rachel folded her arms grumpily, sexy or not, she didn't enjoy being mocked.

"Come lie down with me"

-'Okay your forgiven!' Rachel quickly, and perhaps to eagerly climbed across the Blonde before swiveling so her head hit the soft pillow and she lay, arms brushing in harmony with Quinn. Their bodies fit snugly side by side and Rachel basked in the warmth that was Quinn's skin burning her through her silk dressing gown. -If it burnt this much with clothing, Rachel dreaded to picture what Quinn's touch could do to her with out the fabric barriers... okay so she didn't exactly 'dread', so much as bit her lip in anticipation of that particular thought.

After a moment of the two girls sharing the comfort of a dark silence as they stared at the ceiling, Rachel turned to Quinn as her mind wandered and she found one particular question nagging in her mind.

"Quinn?" The Blonde paused before making a simply 'humph' of recognition as she continued to gaze at her ceiling.

"Can I ask you something?" Rachel shyly reached out with a whimpering voice.

"Rachel, I never asked about how you ended up here and I don't particularly want to answer that myself..." Quinn turned to face Rachel with a look of disappointment plastered across her angelic face.

-"No it wasn't that I was just going to ask if...", Rachel paused as Quinn's look of disappointment faded and was replaced with a look of intrigue and wonder.

"I was just going to ask, that man you were with at lunch today. -Well he was in my room this morning and I was just wondering who he was as I think I gave him a bad impression and I..." -Rachel was suddenly cut off by a more responsive Quinn.

-"Wait you mean Artem?" Quinn questioned with inflexion in her voice, almost as if she was amused by how Rachel had so delicately approached the simple question.

"I mean the cuddly brown teddy bear who brought me toast this morning..." Rachel countered as if it was obvious, "I think I offended him during the nice gesture" she admitted shamefully.

"Yeah he mentioned you weren't the most gracious morning person" Quinn chuckled before looking up to the ceiling while Rachel continued to stare at the Blonde's curious face.

-"I wouldn't worry about that, he doesn't particularly care at all about you" Rachel scoffed in disgust at the thought that any one could 'not' worship her feet, "he only brought you breakfast because I told him too..."

'Wait what?' Rachel dropped the melodrama and softened her expression at the Blonde's careless confession.

"You told hi- sorry, Artem. You told him to bring me breakfast?" Rachel spoke in a nervous and shy, childlike whisper.

"I wasn't ready to speak to you, but I didn't want you to be alone." Quinn admitted in a tone almost as equally shy as Rachel's previous voice. Vulnerability was never something Rachel had seen Quinn be comfortable around, and right now she had just confessed she cared about Rachel's welfare, that Rachel mattered to her. -While she had spent the last few years occasionally fantasizing about Quinn and her in steamy encounters, Rachel secretly knew that she would choose these tender and raw moments with Quinn over her fantasies in a heartbeat. It was a thought that troubled her, and needed locking away the second Quinn turned to search her eyes once again.

Rachel assumed Quinn had found what she had been looking for as the Blonde reach over Rachel and pulled the covers over them both before turning away to lie on her side, facing the dark.

"Quinn?" Rachel found herself unable to fight back as she wriggled for warmth beside the sleepy Blonde.

"Go to sleep Rachel..." Quinn responded with a yawn and a 'reshuffle' that put her back to lying on her back, a movement that Rachel smiled softly at, finding Quinn adorable when she revealed her sleepier self.

"Just one more question then I promise..." Rachel responded.

"Urgh! Fine." Quinn groaned much to Rachel's amusement before rolling to face the small Brunette.

"Who is the man in the picture on your bedside table?" Rachel asked, half expecting another groan or grunt from the heavy lidded Quinn.

But Rachel was instead met with Quinn's eyes quickly flickering open, her dark hazel's suddenly intense with emotion and seemingly fighting back tears as Quinn gulped down a visibly agonizing memory.

"Quinn?" Rachel softly pressed, reaching out to gently touch the Blonde's shoulder.

Quinn stiffened icily at Rachel's touch, quickly looking away from the diva's pitiful eyes before lying back on her side to face the other way.

Rachel accepted the rejection, and feared the thought of going back to her own cold and lonely bed, so she instead nodded in defeat and turned to her side, facing away from the Blonde to give her some space.

As Rachel shut her eyes and tried to drift away, she heard the sound of shuffling, followed by the electric tingle of feeling, shooting down her spine as Quinn reached out through the darkness and her hand found it's way to Rachel's. Rachel smiled at the intimate gesture, and with it, a small victory. As she slowly started to drift away whilst rubbing her thumb protectively and softly over Quinn's knuckles, she heard a painful whimper answer her question in a scared voice amongst the darkness.

"He's just somebody I used to know".

* * *

**Eek that took longer than expected to upload, I've been busy working on the long awaited climax of my other FanFiction. -It will surely blow your mind and is worth checking out!**

**Okay so I would mention how I would LOVE it if you reviewed, like seriously LOVE it. You know, in a big I LOVE YOU kind of way... but that would be cruel and manipulative, so I won't be putting any I LOVE YOU's on here ;)  
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**nawwwww who am I kidding? REVIEW REVIEW RE-FREAKIN-VIEW! I live for you feedback, and PLEASE check out and do the same for my other FanFiction! Whether it's cruel or kind I'll take it on board with pride and just learn to be a better writer for you all!  
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	3. Chapter 3

As Rachel recalled her former high school senior self, she couldn't help but imagine what she would have thought had she awoken to the current situation.

'Well lets see I'm in a bed... not my own but then again Puck has been known to get me incredibly drunk and play the odd prank.

Wait a heightened theatrical second...

MY ARM IS SNUGLY WRAPPED AROUND ANOTHER!

Good Lu Pone this is not Finn!

Holy Streisand its Quinn. Well thank combine harvester truck for that! And here I was thinking I had awoken beside a drunken fling. Phew!'

But this was not high school Rachel. So instead, her thoughts ran differently as she awoke to the smell of jasmine and the warmth of tender porcelain skin.

Actually one once Rachel didn't think at all. -She simply bit her lip to hold back the sleepy smile of satisfaction before reaching out to bring Quinn closer to her so she could hold the unconscious Blonde more tenderly, before nuzzling her face into the back of Quinn's soft locks and returning back to the more than satisfactory slumber.

In that brief moment of awakening, the horrific fact that she was currently involuntarily situated inside a psychiatric hospital didn't seem quite so horrific at all. In that brief moment, the warmth of Quinn's skin, and the ability to cradle her in her arms was perhaps the only thing that mattered.

* * *

_**Day Three**_

As she found herself waking to the chatter filled halls of the hospital, Rachel willed her eyes to never open. But after several elevator 'dings' she cursed and dug her face into the pillow.

"Honestly how do you sleep with that awful machine next to your room Quinn?" the Brunette bitterly groaned. But after a few seconds without a reply Rachel curiously flung her arm out to her side, before swiping it all over the clearly empty space beside her like a drunken one-armed man making a sloppy snow angel.

With the clear knowledge Quinn was not exactly beside her anymore, Rachel cautiously opened her eyes and lifted her face from the pillow to search the room.

"...Quinn?" she nervously called, only to be met with a blatantly empty bed and a blatantly empty room.

"Well that's just gourmet cooking fantastic!" the Diva cursed under her breath as she pulled her self up from the covers and began to exit the room in a grumpy fashion, feeling like an abandoned Bambi.

As she stomped towards the door she found her feet stop as her morning blindness faded away and reality made its demeaning presence known.

Rachel sheepishly bit her lip as she turned around and looked back to the bedside table where the drawing of the caged Prince had vanished. Just like that Rachel remembered that unlike her, Quinn was actually here for a reason. And Rachel's spontaneous decision to spoon her like cookie dough this morning may have been an intimate jump that was selfish on her part, and too much for the obviously more fragile Blonde.

Rachel Berry knew she was a selfish individual. But getting her to admit such a thing out loud was an impossible task.

But as she found herself returning to Quinn's bed to fluff the pillows and straighten the sheets, she couldn't help but dread the strange nauseating feeling of need to cradle and care for the Blonde, even if that meant putting someone else above her for once.

Whether Rachel would admit it or not, three days in Maudsley Hospital, was all it had taken to begin to unravel a side to the Diva that would change her for the better she didn't know she possessed inside.

* * *

"Hunny Bun you got duvet ditched!" The mechanical laughter erupting from the gathered table of mentally misplaced individuals had a mocking edge to typical table banter.

"Dee I do not appreciate the blunt attitude of that statement, and I most certainly was NOT 'duvet ditched'!" Rachel fired back, determined to defend her apparent honor.

"...Wait a second...what exactly is duvet ditching?" -Any apparent honor the Songstress had regained left the building with that admission of lacking knowledge as the tables mocking laughter erupted once more.

"Tweedy Pie, 'Duvet Ditching' is when someone creates the impression of desperately wanting you, has sex with you... and never calls the next day. -Leaving one to wake alone, ditched under the warmth of the bastard's duvet" Dee explained, clearly fighting the will to continue laughing in the Diva's face.

"Wait, no... Then in that case I really wasn't duvet ditched!" Rachel delighted as she smiled bashfully.

"Excuse me?" Another patient with messy Blonde hair, named Francis questioned.

"What I'm saying is, I never actually did anything with Quinn, so she never duvet ditched me!" Rachel beamed with Glee.

"Erm Honey?" Dee's voice broke the silence of confused expressions at the lunch table.

"Hmm?" Rachel obliviously walked into an undoubted further mocking.

"You woke up having been ditched in someone else's bed covers no?" Dee slowly questioned.

"...Well, yes but I-"

"See! DUVET DITCHED!" Dee interrupted as the taunting laughter continued as Rachel regrettably sunk back into her seat, unable to find a loophole in the friendly mocking. -Instead, she opted for simply decided to not take the question of 'what have you done since I last saw you' so literally next time. Next time she would choose to avoid actually going through a detailed list of all she had done, including setting them up with ammunition to tease her about Quinn's hasty exit from her needy spooning embrace.

After being so called 'Duvet Ditched', (who knew the English playground banter was so childish and cruel?) Rachel had sluggishly gone about her day with the simple objective of finding Quinn to apologize for forcibly jumping her bones in an anaconda grip this morning. But unfortunately the Blonde had been nowhere to be found. -On the bright side, the heavy searching allowed Rachel to finally get a vague idea of the layout of the ward, even if it took walking past the nurses station four times in her confusion.

Rachel figured Quinn simply needed space. Although a nagging pull in her stomach told her that the reason for the Blonde's disappearance was bigger than her.

But unfortunately for Rachel, the latter of the two seemed to be becoming more realistic as the hours passed and lunch had arrived with Quinn yet to be seen.

"Mini me..." Dee suddenly broke Rachel's pondering.

"Mini me?" Rachel smiled.

"Yes mini me!" Dee beamed. "I told you I needed time to name you accordingly. Well... your miniature sized in comparison to a normal person, and you wisely chose to shadow me here. Hence... 'Mini me!" Dee proudly grinned.

"And to think I thought you just aimed to groom me into a clone of your egotistical self..." Rachel joked.

"Well... that too..." Dee admitted as Rachel rolled her eyes and hit his arm playfully.

"Anyway back to my point," Dee held up his hands as he tried to remember his original track of no doubt 'fabulous' thought, "Oh YES! As I WAS saying..." he grinned before finishing his original point; "If you really want to find out what happened to your darling Beauty of the Castle, then maybe you should ask the Beast who guards her so well?" As Rachel furrowed her brows in confusion, Dee smiled like the fairy godmother he was proving to be before flicking one of his hands to the window where Artem sat eating his lunch alone.

"Oh..." Rachel sighed.

"Oh?" Dee questioned.

"No, it's just... I honestly thought she be sat with him..." Rachel sighed as Dee smiled sympathetically, "But yes! You're absolutely right as always!" She broke out into a confidant grin as her triumphant and determined mind continued on it's quest as she rose from her plastic chair and stumbled.

-Okay so stumbling out of her seat wasn't the original intention but she got a little over excited caught up in her theatrical mind.

Shaking of her embarrassment, and Dee's echoing giggling, she straightened her posture and proudly marched over to the dark and intimidating confident of her Belle.

"Hello, erm... Artem is it?"

As groggy sullen eyes met her own, Rachel suddenly found her newfound bravery crumbling on the spot.

"Hi I'm Rachel Barbara Berry, but you already know that I assume" Rachel nervously laughed as she filled in the thick silence as Artem failed to respond to her previous statement.

"So I was wandering if I could join you actually? Perhaps make up for that unfortunate morning yesterday where my sleep deprived self probably got our relationship off to a slightly more negative start than I would have preferred" the Brunette babbled self consciously.

Artem failed to respond yet again. He did however scrunch up his groggy eyes and raise his eyebrows as if to say he didn't buy any of it and was well aware Rachel had no interest in him, only Quinn. But instead of taking this as a sign that somebody had uncovered her facade, Rachel gulped before confidently taking the seat opposite the cuddly auburn haired man.

"So I couldn't help but notice you aren't sat with Quinn today Artem... is er... is everything okay with her today?" Rachel indiscreetly asked.

"You mean did you spoon her into hiding?" his thick Russian accent made itself known as his now seemingly amused eyes finally lifted to meet the crumbling Diva's.

"Am I only here to amuse you people with my unfortunate life?" Rachel cursed in bafflement.

"You don't make it difficult to tease" Artem truthfully responded before returning to his food.

-Rachel instantly saw why the man in front of her had become close with her former best friend. He was: guarded, discreet, spoke simple statements that spoke volumes alone, mysterious, had excellent use of his gaze and eyebrows, not to mention had a secret love of playful mocking. He was like Quinn's male Russian counterpart.

"Fair enough..." Rachel accepted, but realized with this man, honesty was the only way she would receive any information.

"I guess what I actually came here for, other than curiosity as to where Quinn is... is because, I was wondering if you know why she's here?" Rachel admitted.

Artem slowly placed down his fork and looked into Rachel's eyes, seeming to search for something he needed to see first.

"I know its not my place, it's just that well, until we lost touch a couple of years ago, Quinn was my closest friend. She meant so much and I, well I just really need to understand what on earth happened to send my closest friend into a place like this".

As Rachel paused in wait for a response, she sighed a relief when Artem finally sat back on his chair and uttered more than one line as a response. -Apparently he found what he had been looking for in her eyes as she was honest.

"Miss Berry, I know you two were close. I know you were inseparable until your career and her education separated you. And I also know why you are curious and so concerned for your friend." Artem began as Rachel nervously chewed the inside of her cheek as her eyes filled with hope of a final understanding of the madness she was surrounded in.

"However Miss Berry, I also know that you probably also know that if Quinn decided not to explain why she is here, it is probably because it is difficult and she isn't ready to do so. So I know that when I tell you to ask her yourself, that you should respect that she will answer you when the time is right for her." It was more words than Rachel had ever anticipated the intimidating Russian to ever produce, but they were words that she regrettably knew to be true.

Rachel nodded in acceptance and thanked Artem for his time before swallowing her disappointment and returning to Dee at her usual cafeteria table.

* * *

_**Day Four**_

It had been over 24 hours since Rachel had last seen Quinn. It had been four days since she first arrived in this hellhole. Considering Doctor Stevenson insisted she spend the minimal amount of 21 days here before a possibility of a release, Rachel concluded she now had a remaining 17 days to find out not only prove her sanity, but to uncover the truth about Quinn's admission into this place.

Luckily for the Diva, finding Quinn on this particular morning proved to be awfully easy as she entered room A14 and found herself met with a beautiful Blonde carefully sketching her issues away by her window.

Unluckily for Rachel, this meant that the carefully devised plan she had spent the entirety of cognitive therapy devising yesterday afternoon, was now going to complete waste. -At least she could still perform her 'respecting your boundaries speech!'

"Honestly Rachel you do realize it's considered polite to not only knock as you enter a room, but also to refrain from staring at the occupants ass until you at least introduce yourself and become better acquainted?"

'So much for the boundary presentation' Rachel mentally cursed as she concluded that the entirety of yesterdays work had officially gone to the gutter.

"Staring at your? I mean I figured we were well acquainted enough for me to not have to knock... I mean, but staring at? I mean that's utterly ridiculous Quinn why would I stare at your ass?" Rachel scrambled a defense as she quickly shuffled across the room to sit of the edge of the bed facing Quinn.

"I don't know Rachel... why would you stare at my ass ever since Freshman year?" Quinn casually quipped back as she continued to casually sketch away her worries.

As Rachel stumbled back and forth desperately trying to form a logical explanation for her apparently far more transparent behavior than she had ever realized, she found in reality her mind cold only think of two words...

'...Well shit'.

As those familiar burning hazel eyes flickered up as Quinn placed down her sketching tools, the Blonde's arrogant grin told Rachel that apparently her minds stump was impeccably visible at this point in time. -Forget deer in headlights, Rachel currently looked like a cross-dressing puppy who had stumbled into a fashion show only to have the current awkward situation highlighted by Naomi Campbell tossing a high heel into her head in front of a crowd of hundreds. (I could have stuck with a deer in headlights, but this is Rachel Berry's tale, and Rachel Berry deserves an unnecessarily excessive narration does she not?)

"Honestly Rachel don't look so shocked, did you really think I wouldn't notice your more than eager attitude towards our frequent heated verbal sparring in high school? Not to mention when we became friends you chose to get your kicks from instead using Glee Club choreography to touch as much of my body as possible!" Quinn grinned playfully as she tilted her head almost as if to challenge Rachel to try to deny her bold statement.

"Err, no... I mean, holy Streisand it's hot it here, do you feel? No wait, I mean... I erm don't know what you mean Quinn. Glee choreography? That's utterly ridiculous!" She word vomited in a trembling panic. -This was not at all how she had expected conversation to flow.

"Really Rachel?" Quinn laughed as she stood and slowly approached the bed, each step emphasizing her point.

"So if I was to bring up your insistence on performing the following songs where I would be your main dance partner... say I don't know: 'I kissed a girl?' Or perhaps 'I think we're alone now?' Or... my personal favorite, in which your choreography involved everyone dancing around in an orbit of you persistently straddling me to the eighty's classic, the Divinals, 'I touch myself?' -Now that one, was a clear give away!" Quinn laughed seductively as she happily sat on the end of her bed before turning to Rachel to see if the Brunette wasn't totally shocked into submission by the reveal that she had known the entire time.

-'Well it appears I wasn't quite as subtle as I initially thought' Rachel mentally berated.

"Quinn I... oh screw it!" Rachel sighed before turning away from Quinn to allow herself to be completely honest as lying simply made her look even more pathetic than she already did.

"Quinn, can you honestly blame me? I mean your bone structure alone is outstanding, your skin is flawless, your beauty haunting, and intelligence simply an edge to complete your entire overwhelming sex appeal. So SORRY if I fell victim to your ridiculous looks and occasionally appreciate them!" She blurted it out in a word vomit like no other but straight after doing so, immediately widened her eyes on the realization she had just confessed to her close friend Quinn Fabray, that she used her body during Glee as a means to release sexual pleasure.

This time Rachel found herself screaming one word through her head that sounded an awful lot like 'roast duck'.

As the weight on the bed shifted, Rachel lifted her mortified eyes to watch as a pleased Quinn elegantly rose and began to exit her own room.

"You know Rachel, there really isn't anything to be so ashamed of..." Rachel slowly softened expression with wonder and intrigue as the seemingly flirtatious Blonde pressed on, "If I had found an issue with your behavior, do you really think I would have agreed to all those sleepovers?" Quinn was now clearly chuckling with enjoyment as she turned around in the doorway to face Rachel one last time.

"Rachel Berry, I can promise you this, if it hadn't been for having Santana and Britney as best friends; and having you stare at my ass throughout high school... then I may well have never been tempted to explore my bisexuality!"

With that simple wording, she was gone. But with that simple wording, Quinn had possible just caused Rachel's mind to ejaculate filthy thoughts and hopes all over Quinn's room.

'Bisexual... she said she was bisexual? As in, attracted to both genders... because of me? I made Quinn think about women. I made Quinn attracted to women. Quinn informed me of this while blatantly flirting with and teasing me (I DID NOT IMAGINE HER FILTHY DARK EYES THIS TIME!) Oh my Aretha Franklin's... I have a chance with Quinn?'

With a less than two minute interaction three things had become abundantly clear to the impatient and excitable Brunette: firstly she was beginning to like this place, secondly Quinn was possibly interested in her; and thirdly, this place seemed less and less like hell and more and more like heaven with each second it gave her with Quinn.

Suddenly 21 days in a psychiatric facility for something she didn't do didn't seem quite so awful to Rachel Barbara Berry.

* * *

Ever since Quinn's startling admission, Rachel had found herself avoiding human contact as much as possible that day. With the unhealthy honesty she seemed to possess around others, she concluded it would have been like walking into a war zone had she joined everyone for the scheduled eating times of the day. So after waiting for the sunset to begin signaling the start of the evening, Rachel finally left her safe bubble her room provided and ventured down the halls to eat in what would be a much more deserted cafeteria. As she walked towards the smell of food calling her stomachs name, she found her feet stopping after hearing a angry cry of distress sound from the art room she had just passed.

Normally Rachel would have accepted that entering the situation could benefit no one, but as the blinds shielded the window and door, she found an overwhelming curiosity speak its name to her as her feet carefully approached the door.

The Diva squinted her curious brown eyes as she reached the door, desperately searching for the source of the painful cry from within the room.

As her eyes adjusted to the small view, they immediately registered the warm glow of the evening sunset, providing natural warmth and a sensual awakening to the room that Rachel hadn't seen since she first arrived at this place days ago. Trailing her eyes from the far windows warmth to the soft shadows of the canvases throughout the room, Rachel took note of a shadow flickering behind the canvas at the far edge of the room now with a floor splattered in paint.

Rachel should have called a nurse or warden to help whoever was inside the room, but something inside her took over as her fingers slowly grasped the door handle and quietly pushed the door ajar, before cautiously closing it after she stepped inside the room.

Despite the spilled paint and deafening silence cutting through the air, Rachel found the sunsets glow masking the pain of the patient in crisis, her heart battling mind and telling her to at least attempt to calm the patient hiding behind the safety of the angry canvas.

"Hello?" her voice trembled with vulnerability as she carefully drew closer to the far canvas. Her voice was met with silence, as a delicate paint stained hand slipped into the light from the shadows. The fingers delicate and porcelain, enough to tell Rachel her pounding heart was right to bring her in here.

"Rachel?" the velvety voice was weak and distressed, but as Rachel reached the canvas and traced the hands arm to its body, she found her eyes meeting the tearful pained hazel eyes of the Blonde who seemed to have led her heart to this space between them, crying out for someone to find her.

"Quinn... what happened?" the Brunette sympathetically reached out to the blonde, only for Quinn to back away from her touch, almost as if burned by the touch of another's skin in when her protective mask was finally off.

Rachel stared into the Blondes eyes as she took in the crumbled angels image. Her Blonde locks were messily tasseled and skin stained with paint as she herself became part of the raw and emotional artwork her pain had created.

It was perhaps the most painful image Rachel had ever seen, but it was equally the most haunting beautiful. It was this image, and the powerful heat Rachel's body seemed to scream from witnessing it, that told Rachel her small infatuation had grown stronger than she ever could have anticipated.

"He... he won't leave, he won't leave me..." Quinn's desperate cry awoke Rachel from her stunned glance as Quinn's voice reminded her how much the Blonde clearly needed someone right now.

"Quinn... there's... there's no one here..." Rachel forced the truth in an attempt to reassure the Blonde with terrified eyes and tears threatening to spill with her fragile truths. But her intended reassurance proved to be lost on the Blonde as instead of relief, or calm; Rachel watched Quinn's darkened eyes replace with a different emotion... Hunger.

Rachel stood limp as the Blonde kept her intense eyes burning into Rachel's as she stepped towards the Brunette until their breath was almost the same. Rachel's skin scolded her with the proximity of the clearly lost Quinn. She found herself frozen in fear as to how to react to a fantasy not even her filthy mind could have conjured, unraveling before her eyes.

As she felt Quinn's lips ghost her own before slipping slyly behind Rachel's ear, the Diva let out a breath she wasn't even aware she had been holding. That's when Rachel heard the words she would be more than happy to oblige to.

"Please make me feel something again Rachel"

Rachel's soft tanned fingers quickly found their way around Quinn's neck as she crashed their needing lips together. Quinn had awakened a hunger, and a need to feel intimacy that Rachel had believed she would never come across ever again. As she found Quinn's hot tears hitting her cheeks as the Blonde's delicate fingers flew eagerly into Rachel's hair as her lips responded to Rachel's. As Rachel felt Quinn pull away she hesitated a rejection of cruelty only to instead stifle a sharp moan as Quinn bit down on her bottom lip before taking Rachel's gasp of pleasure as an opportunity to add a tantalizing tongue into the mix.

Their lips mashed as tongues dueled and desperate hands searched for something to satisfy the overwhelming desire to feel the two women had burning inside of them.

Quinn wanted to feel.

Rachel simply wanted Quinn.

But the latter of the two became fiercely dominant and present as Rachel found herself leading the slender Blonde back until the thump and crash of brushes to the floor told them they had hit a counter. Rachel found the moans Quinn was eliciting at her touch almost unbearable...

She needed more.

She needed everything.

As her wandering hands slipped under Quinn's Grey T-Shirt, she plunged her mouth into Quinn's neck in an attempt to muffle the groan of pleasure that erupted from her body as she felt the Blonde's abs tense and quiver from the touch of her scratching and exploring fingertips.

Quinn threw her head back in pleasure as her nails clawed into the singers back as she struggled to contain herself. Rachel felt Quinn slowly lower her head back down as the sound of more painting equipment tumbled to the floor as Quinn shuddered beneath Rachel's fingertips slowly raising until they were now tracing her ribs below her lace bra.

It was fast. It was overpowering, but Rachel knew the fire inside told her she was ready to slip her leg between Quinn's in attempt to create more moans of pleasure from the Blonde she halted as she felt the Blonde's entire posture stiffen drastically as Quinn gasped a breath of fear.

Rachel quickly withdrew with fearful eyes but watched in bafflement as Quinn look straight through her and to the empty doorway.

"No... no... NO...NO!" Quinn screeched as her tears began to stream angrily down her cheeks as she snapped into someone Rachel didn't recognize.

The next few moments were ones that rapidly transcended into a blur of horror and pain for Rachel as she stood frozen unable to help the girl before her from crumbling as she angrily through materials screaming and kicked canvas' of harsh colour, desperately reaching for a break from the hysterical mind she had suddenly snapped into and caged herself within.

Paint splattered, canvas' tore and Quinn screamed as she pushed Rachel's pleading hands away, unable to control the distress that tore through her broken mind.

As the seconds tore by Rachel found her heart clench as the girl before her broke into oblivion, she only just noticed the flash of white as the nurses and Doctors pooled into the Art room, desperate to salvage the struggling girl.

But the next happening was an image Rachel managed to see in perfect detail as he baffled mind imprinted the memory as the moment unveiled. The sight of soft auburn hair appeared as Artem hastily entered the room and lowered the hand of the orderly armed with a sedative as he nodded briefly to the man before the crowd backed away and circled the Russian and the Beauty.

Rachel blinked the tears from her heart wrenching eyes as she watched in disbelief as Artem dropped to the floor where Quinn had crumbled to her knees. He quickly reached out his strong arms and held the Blonde in place, screaming back at her until her frantic eyes finally locked to his own. Then, in a moment, Rachel watched as a flicker in Quinn's eyes told her that her Quinn had finally returned as the Blonde fell into her protector's strong embrace.

It was an image that would haunt Rachel as she tried to shut her eyes to sleep that night. But what haunted her more was the sight she saw as she looked back to the fallen Quinn once more before exiting the Art room, the sight of the only canvas that remained standing after Quinn's outburst. Quinn's canvas. The object that faced the doorway the Blonde had looked to before she crumbled into madness.

As Rachel stared into the darkness of the night, she found one image flash through her mind as she closed her eyes: the angry harsh colours that painted a face on the Canvas Quinn had been painting on. -The face of the trapped prince in the drawing. The face of someone Rachel was beginning to believe held the key to what ever happened to Quinn to make her end up in a place like this.

Now more than ever... Rachel needed to understand.

* * *

_**Day Five**_

"And Rachel, did you have anything you'd like to share today?" As Rachel blanked the voice of higher authority and continued to stare her tired and worn eyes into the face of the quiet Russian failing to speak as usual in Group Therapy, she found herself only just able to end the session as she continued staring and weakly muttered her response...

"No, sorry".

After an hour of ignoring her obvious staring, Artem's bright blue eyes finally snapped up to meet her own, seeming to finally notice her burning gaze of curiosity as they remained seated while the others rose from their seats and retreated to their rooms at the end of a psychologically exhausting day.

But as the wise Russian stared back into her fiery gaze of desperation, Rachel found his steady nod a sign to speak what she had longed to ask him all day.

"Why are you so good with her?"

-Now this, Artem hadn't been expecting. He had been expecting some sort of continuous quest for Quinn's whereabouts, but for once it seemed the Diva his friend spoke fondly of, wasn't being selfish. She was allowing Quinn her space she so desperately needed to heal.

"I'm no better with her than anyone else" Artem responded as he rose from his chair still facing the confused Diva, "I just allow myself to see what's really there in front me" he concluded before walking to exit the room.

Rachel had heard what she knew to be true after witnessing yesterdays shocking incident. The Quinn she had seen yesterday was not remotely resembling a girl she had thought she had known so well. -She always knew Quinn wore a mask of her true emotions throughout her life, but Rachel had never realized that Quinn's mask also hid the traumatized vulnerable mind inside as well.

"Artem?" Rachel called just before the man exited the doorway. He stopped and slowly turned, allowing her to ask one last question, "I don't know what happened to make the two of you so close, but I'm glad she has someone here who actually reads her the way she reads others. She's never had anyone like that before..." Rachel confessed and she weakly looked to the floor. Her admission was followed by the sound of Artem's footsteps walking away, the sound Rachel knew to be of a hidden denial of warmth. As he returned to his room to sleep off his concerns for his friend, Artem found himself remembering what it was that related him to the Blonde. -His baby sister.

* * *

_**One Month ago**_

"Honestly I don't know what's wrong with her, she loses someone in some tragedy a year ago and seems fine. Then one year later just cracks and never gets her sanity back. -People like that are beyond even our help..." a hushed whisper chanted as the Russian walked obliviously down the hall slurping on a blue slushie he had just gained from the cafeteria.

He may hate this country. He may hate the people. But he loved the slushies they served in their hospitals.

"People like that our your modern day tragedies..." A male voice sounding like Doctor Stevenson sounded, "This one is like Romeo and Juliet if Juliet failed her ending. -The result turns out to be even more tragic and scaring..." The gentleman finished.

As the whispers continued Artem stood nonchalantly at the corner, waiting for a door to close to show he could explore further.

As the door finally sounded, the man turned the corner and stopped immediately in his tracks.

As the Blue slushie splattered on the floor around his bare feet, he gaped and furrowed his heavy brow at the sight of the young Blonde before him.

She sat, head in hands, staring directly at him with eyes of intensity that seemed to scream of loneliness. -Eyes that haunted him of a painful memory.

Eyes that flashed his mind to a young Brunette he had lost two years ago. Someone whose death had devastated him into the depression he found himself in now.

He wasn't haunted by the memory because the girl was his younger sister, although it didn't help matters.

-He was haunted with an overwhelming guilt of depression because his younger sister danced through her life smiley with happiness. Everyone ran to he a t the end of the day, knowing that Anastasiya's smile alone would bring the light back into their lives. But as Artm came home from work two years ago, he found that smile he held dear had been replaced, replaced with a scream of horror on his family's face as he carried her limp body into the living room through his tears. Her stained wrist falling to her side as a sign that the smile they all loved was forever gone. But what Artem saw in that moment, was a sign that told him that all these years, that smile had been nothing but a tearfully brave facade of pain. Anastasiya was the unhappiest girl in the entire town, yet not one person had stopped to actually see her. So nobody could have stopped her.

Nobody had seen it coming. Nobody had taken the time to really see her pain.

As Artem's toes froze in the cool blue liquid now pooling around them, he found the horrifically familiar stare screaming two things to him.

Firstly, this was a girl in indescribable loneliness.

And secondly, it was a girl Anastasiya had blessed him with to ease his guilt.

* * *

**_Okay so that just went deliciously angsty for a story originally came up with as a way of creating a bi-polar to my other current Fanfiction which is something of a delicious angst epic at the moment. -Oh well._**

**_But in all seriousness before I get completely to the more amusing side of factors in this story, I felt I had to explore the reason's all the characters surrounding Rachel had ended up in such a dark institute. To have skipped over them would have felt unrealistic and making too much 'light' of some of lifes more unfortunate and serious situations._**

**_BUT I PROMISE WHEN QUINN FEELS BETTER YOU WILL TOO! (If you're still reading... I sincerely hope you will be!)_**

**_Now I would like to take this point to cough an unnecessary REVIEW remark. As if you have read this far into my authors note, surely you can be so kind as to spare one minute to inform me how much I suck or hopefully don't?_**


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